If a car accident in Garden Grove, California recently injured you or a loved one, you have legal rights. Contact the attorneys at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian to help you protect them. Our award-winning car accident lawyers are prepared to guide you through the car accident claims process from start to successful settlement. If you are wondering where to turn for help and assistance that you can trust after a major motor vehicle accident in Garden Grove, look no further. Contact us to arrange a free consultation, where we will offer personalized legal advice at no cost or obligation to hire our law firm. Schedule yours today at (949) 831-6611.
Why Clients Choose Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian
- We have been maximizing our clients’ financial recoveries since 1990 in Orange County. We are nationally recognized California trial attorneys.
- Our Garden Grove personal injury lawyers can take on powerful car insurance companies for you and win. We have recovered over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients.
- You can place your trust in our knowledgeable and compassionate car accident lawyers. We have a reputation for providing exceptional customer service.
- Collectively, our law firm partners have over 75 years of courtroom and litigation experience. We have the ability to achieve life-changing results for our clients.
How a Car Accident Attorney in Garden Grove Can Help
Handling a car accident claim can leave you feeling frustrated, hopeless and uncertain about the future. Hiring an experienced car accident attorney in Garden Grove, however, can change your legal experience. An attorney will know exactly how to navigate your car accident claim to aid in your recovery and achieve the best possible case results. A car accident lawyer in Garden Grove can help by providing the following key services:
- Comprehensive crash investigation to determine the cause of the accident and name the liable party/ies.
- Counseling you on your rights and legal options based on your unique circumstances.
- Connecting you with top doctors in Garden Grove for appropriate medical care.
- Evidence preservation and collection.
- Hiring experts to prove or strengthen your car accident case.
- Filing your insurance claim and negotiating a fair settlement with an insurance adjuster.
- Taking over legal proceedings and representing you in court, if necessary.
The right attorney can help you establish liability, build a case against the at-fault driver (or a third party) and secure a just settlement in a reasonable timeframe. You can rely on the Orange County personal injury legal team at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian to help you explore the full scope of possibilities for making a physical, emotional and financial recovery after a serious auto accident in Garden Grove.
How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
You are already facing enough financial strain due to the typical costs associated with getting into a car accident, such as your medical bills and motor vehicle repairs. You should not also have to deal with expensive legal fees as you pursue financial compensation with help from a lawyer. That is why at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, we choose to operate on a contingency fee basis. It will cost you nothing upfront and nothing out-of-pocket to hire our Garden Grove personal injury lawyers for your car accident claim. We will only charge a fee for our services if we win your case and secure a settlement or judgment award. If we don’t win, you won’t pay us a cent in attorney’s fees. If your car accident case does result in a payout, we will deduct our fee directly from the award won, taking a pre-agreed-upon percentage. We never take more than our clients earn. With this type of payment structure, our law firm absorbs 100 percent of the financial risks associated with pursuing your car accident claim.
Garden Grove, CA Car Accident Statistics
Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of serious injuries, emergency department visits and deaths in the State of California. According to the Federal Highway Administration, California reported 4,061 car accident deaths and 16,638 serious injuries in 2023. California was second behind only Texas in the number of fatal car accidents (source: the Insurance Institute). Garden Grove, California reported 659 total fatal and injury crashes to the California Office of Traffic Safety in 2022. Of these accidents, at least 39 involved alcohol, 58 were hit-and-runs, and 96 were speed-related. Orange County as a whole reported 17,734 injured and killed victims in 2022, with 1,966 involving alcohol, 1,291 hit-and-runs, and 3,946 caused by speed.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Garden Grove
Operating a motor vehicle in Garden Grove, California should not put your life at undue risk. Unfortunately, fellow drivers cannot be trusted to drive safely or obey traffic laws. Flagrant traffic violations and careless and reckless driving can put all road users at risk of serious accidents. Common causes of traffic accidents in Garden Grove include:
- Distracted driving
- Texting and driving
- Driving under the influence
- Speeding and moving violations
- Red-light and stop-sign running
- Failing to yield the right-of-way
- Following too closely
- Making unsafe lane changes
- Aggressive driving
- Reckless driving
- Inexperienced drivers
- Dangerous road conditions
- Defective vehicle parts
Some of the most common locations in Garden Grove for car accidents include intersections, busy streets and traffic-heavy freeways. Examples include Haster Street and Lampson Avenue, Chapman Avenue and Magnolia Street, Newhope Street and Trask Avenue, and State Route 22.
Common Types of Injuries From Automobile Accidents
The dynamics of a car accident can result in severe and catastrophic injuries for those involved – especially vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. The forces created by a motor vehicle collision can inflict massive damage and life-threatening injuries. Common injuries include:
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Whiplash
- Bruising and contusions
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Head and skull injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Abdominal and internal injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Burn injuries
- Psychological injuries
- Wrongful death
A car accident can result in painful bodily injuries, lasting emotional damage, expensive medical costs, and permanent disfigurement or disability. Keep in mind that many car accident injuries do not show symptoms right away; always visit a hospital immediately after a car crash in Garden Grove.
Who Pays for a Car Crash in Garden Grove?
Determining who is responsible for paying for your automobile accident requires an understanding of California’s basic insurance laws and the cause of your crash. California is an “at-fault” or tort state. This means the driver or party responsible for causing a car accident must pay. Motorists in California are legally required to carry minimum amounts of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance. This ensures they have enough coverage to pay for accidents they cause. The required amounts are currently $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage, as well as $15,000 in property damage insurance. At least these minimum amounts of coverage should be available to pay for your losses if another driver caused your car accident. However, you will be responsible for proving fault. The other driver’s insurance company will request evidence establishing that its policyholder did in fact cause the accident.
What Is Driver Negligence?
Most car accident claims filed in Garden Grove are based on the legal theory of negligence. In the context of personal injury law, someone is negligent if he or she does not act with proper care, resulting in harm to others. If a driver or a third party does something that a reasonably prudent person would not have in the same or similar circumstances, this is negligence. Proving negligence requires evidence establishing that the other driver owed you a duty of care, meaning a responsibility to act in a reasonably careful manner. Next, you must show that the driver breached his or her duty of care to you, and that this was the proximate or actual cause of your automobile accident. Finally, you must provide evidence demonstrating that you suffered actual losses as a result of the crash.
How to Prove Fault
The burden of proof in a California car accident claim is “based on a preponderance of the evidence,” or enough evidence to show that the claim is more likely to be true than not true. The evidence you collect can make all the difference to the outcome of your case. Compelling evidence to support a car accident claim can include:
- A police report
- Eyewitness statements and accounts
- Crash scene photographs
- Video footage of the accident
- Testimony from experts, such as crash reconstructionists
- Your medical records
- Motor vehicle repair estimates
- Lost wage statements
To prove your Orange County car accident claim, you will need evidence of both the other driver’s fault and your related injuries and losses. Our attorneys can preserve, collect and subpoena key evidence to help you build the strongest car accident claim possible.
What Damages Are Available?
Pursuing a car accident claim as an injured victim in Garden Grove could result in the financial recovery that you need for various losses. One or more parties may be held liable or financially responsible for your economic and non-economic damages. Common damages claimed for a car accident in California include:
- Current and future medical costs
- Property repairs or vehicle replacement
- Rental car costs or transportation
- Lost wages and earnings
- Lost capacity to earn
- Permanent disfigurement or disability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death damages
- Punitive damages
It is important to know how to create a full and comprehensive list of damages for your car accident claim. Otherwise, you could be at risk of accepting a low settlement offered to you by a car insurance company. Working with our attorneys can give you the full picture of how much your claim is truly worth.
Steps To Take After a Garden Grove Car Accident
Knowing exactly what to do and what steps to take after a car accident in Garden Grove can help you proceed with greater confidence. It can help you avoid common mistakes that may otherwise interfere with your ability to recover fair compensation. If you can, take these 10 steps:
- Remain where you are unless it is necessary to move for safety reasons. You may exacerbate an injury if you aren’t careful.
- If possible, move your disabled vehicle out of the way of traffic to avoid further collisions.
- Check yourself and others in your vehicle for any injuries. Then, exit your vehicle when it’s safe and find out if anyone else has been hurt.
- Call 911 to report the crash to the police if it caused injuries, deaths or property damage. While you wait for the police to arrive, exchange information with the other driver. Do not admit fault.
- Seek immediate medical attention by calling an ambulance or going to the nearest hospital in Garden Grove.
- Use your cell phone to take pictures of the crash scene, including the damaged vehicles and surrounding roadway.
- Once you’ve seen a doctor, request copies of your medical records to prove your injuries.
- Contact your own car insurance company to notify them of the car accident.
- File a claim with the at-fault driver’s car insurance provider.
- Consult with our car accident attorneys at Garden Grove before accepting a settlement offer.
As your attorneys, we can immediately take action to help you build the strongest possible car accident claim. We can guide you on what to do and what not to do after your accident to fully protect your legal rights.
The Statute of Limitations Is Two Years
Don’t wait to pursue financial compensation for a Garden Grove automobile accident. A law known as the statute of limitations (California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1) states: “Within two years: An action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.” Under this law, you generally have just two years from the date of an automobile accident to file a personal injury claim. However, you may have more or less time than this to file in special circumstances. If you are pursuing a claim against a government agency, for example, you will have just six months. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect your right to recover.
Schedule a Free Case Review With an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Garden Grove
At Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, we offer a full range of legal services to those injured and affected by car accidents in Garden Grove and throughout Orange County, California. Find out how we can help you seek justice and fair financial compensation during a free initial case review at our local law office. As your attorneys, we will fight for every cent that you deserve from an at-fault party. Contact us online or call (949) 831-6611 today to get started with your claim.